14199/The Dark Knight and the Big Bad

The Dark Knight and the Big Bad
Date of Scene:	16 March 2022
Location:	Columbia Point, Burnley
Synopsis:	Batman, Spike, a rooftop, and mood lighting, what more could you ask for?
Cast of Characters:	Spike, Batman

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Spike has posed:
It was one of those nights. The Gotham City Police Department had already lit the bat signal three separate times. It was good that Batman had an entire cadre of superheroes to respond to some of these. That, or they just weren't able to get a response when they used the signal. Spike wasn't sure, but seeing it flicker a few times, it had piqued his interest. Of course, he couldn't make his way to the roof of the Gotham City Police Department Headquarters. Even if he was not currently sought in relation to any unsolved crimes in Gotham, people just don't stroll through the police department without some serious firepower.

No, instead, he had made his way to the roof of a nearby building. It was so much easier to access. He wasn't doing anything too noteworthy, besides the fact a man was standing on the roof of a building in the middle of the night. He did cast a slight glow from his lit cigarette. And as luck would have it, one of the uniformed officers of the G.C.P.D. lit the signal again. Spike would have to wait. Sitting preciously on a ledge, he folded his legs as he sat, smoked, and watched, commenting to himself, "and who says that Gotham doesn't have any street theater?"

Batman has posed:
The Dark Knight of Gotham.

The myth surrounding the legend had come and gone and come again. The people had seen him with the Justice League. Yet somehow, when night approaches? Criminals flee the scenes of their crimes in progress. Others are braver. He had to choose his targets far more carefully. He had the Bat family to help him there, to go where he couldn't. Where there was a murder, he would send Red Robin to investigate it while he stopped Two-Face from blowing up A.C.E Chemicals. If there was a security leak at Gotham PD, he would send Oracle to patch it off while he paid Penguin a visit at the Iceberg Lounge.

He wasn't Superman. He wasn't Wonder Woman.

He couldn't fly across the world in a few minutes nor could he push the moon out of orbit, not without some serious tech that he doesn't bring out to regular patrols. But when that light hits the sky? There's never a lack of response. So imagine a police officer's surprise when he might see something sail across the night sky.

"What do you want."

The voice comes from behind Spike. Who would see the Batman, his cape covering much of his physical form, including the combat armor he wore underneath. The cowl covers his head except for the lower jaw.

Spike has posed:
The officer on the other rooftop, a Captain by his uniform, continued to wait as the light shone into the night sky. He had met Batman only twice before, and never alone. He once stood there when Commissioner Gordon called, and had been present at a crime scene, Harvey Bullock in charge, where Batman had appeared. But they were off duty. Batman may not take nights off, but the police certainly do. For one, there were many more of them.

What neither the Captain with some pressing concern, nor Spike, expected, was for the Batman to ignore the call for help, and instead to focus on Spike. The vampire wasn't nearly as startled as the Captain would have been. He was however surprised that Batman snuck up on him. Vampiric senses and all that. Spinning around on the ledge, "oh, you're good." He smiled, genuinely enjoying the surprise, "Didn't see you coming. Though, I am a bit surprised." Gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder, "doesn't that shiny bauble usually mean someone out there needs you?"

Batman has posed:
Upon close inspection, the Captain will see more figures moving in the shadows.

"A vampire." Batman's voice rings agains the hallow edges of the night. A low grumble, like some demon waiting to consume Spike whole. The World's Greatest Detective. "It does. But you'll answer my question first: What is a vampire doing in my city?" Batman looked no nonsense. His eyes were firm and despite knowing what Spike was? No fear stained him.

He's fought worse.

Though he doesn't seem to pursue Spike's praise. He's snuck up on some seriously potent individuals, Spike being added to that list of said individuals. He watches him closely. The Captain may see the familiar form of the former Robin, Nightwing, lingering near to assist him in his desires as a stand in until Batman shows up. Of course, all of the Bats are monitered by the Dark Knight himself.

Spike has posed:
The comfort that Spike had, up until this point, shown the Dark Knight was momentarily broken. It was rare for someone, by all appearances a human at that, to so easily discern Spike's origin. It's not as though he smelled like a vampire. His body temperature equalled the surrounding temperature, but that again, couldn't normally be noted through visual or audio means. He wasn't giving his vampire face. And there were no contextual clues. And yet, the world's greatest detective pierced through it.

Of course, for all Spike knew, Batman had a file on him in some database. His face reacted to the statement, at first in surprise, then admiration, and finally, glee. He inclined his head ever so. "Oh, the usual. I thought I'd see the sights, take in the street crime, have a tour of the Ace Chemical plant, see the Gotham Cathedral, and take a stroll through the Wayne Botanical Garden. And I got news for you, I'm not the only one.

Meanwhile, the Captain will tell Nightwing, secretly glad that it was Nightwing and not the Batman, about Solomon Grundy being spotted in the China Basin. The former boy wonder will have his hands full tonight, it seems.

Batman has posed:
"Better Nightwing than Batman."
- Literally anyone.

Maybe Batman did have a file on Spike. Maybe he had a detailed file on all the things to spot on a vampire on a micro-expression level. Maybe Oracle was feeding the Dark Knight important information. Or maybe he was really that damned good. The mystery is part of the Batman. The question of 'how' is the most closely associated with the Dark Knight.

Nightwing will have his hands full. But no doubt the Dynamic Duo will reunite for the combat with Grundy. But this first.

"How many more?" Batman questions him, even as he starts to approach.

Spike has posed:
That question surprised Spike. It had been a night of surprises. The Batman could identify Spike as a vampire, and yet asked how many were present in a city of millions. "Ordinarily I don't like to answer a question with another question, but how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?"

He took another drag of his cigarette. Yes, vampires have the air capacity to speak and smoke. They don't need air to survive, but do breath when they want to. Many do it habitually, and subconsciously. Then gave a better answer, "I have no idea. It's not like there's an active counter. How many mutants are there in Gotham? Or metahumans? Or flamboyant psychopaths? Or boy wonders?" Yes, he had heard of the rotating pantheon of Robins.

Getting up from his perch, Spike flicked the rest of his cigarette onto the roof, and stubbed it out with his shoe. "Though I did notice a few of them hang out in the abandoned shoe warehouse on Pike St." Now why would a vampire like Spike give up information on a vampire nest? Because he owed them money of course, not that he was about to explain that to the Dark Knight.

Batman has posed:
Batman was intelligent, perhaps one of hte most intelligent human beings alive. But he was not all-knowing. He was not a God. He was a myth, and even myth's have their weaknesses. Did Batman intend to give up his hand that even the Dark Knight doesn't know everything? Maybe, maybe not.

"Infinite."

Batman's answer as to Spike's question for a question. Angel's are spiritual and don't take up physical mass. "Don't present me with reductio ad absurdum challenges." Though as Spike questions him how many flamboyant Psychopaths or boy wonders, Batman is tempted to give him the current standings.

So he does.

With Spike giving up the location of some vampires on Pike Street, Batman narrows his eyes behind that cowl. "Why would you give up that information...unless you've run out of favor with them." A deeper look. They had something he wanted. No...He had something they wanted. Conflict of interest.

Spike has posed:
"Use it, don't use it, I don't bloody care." Spike felt at home on the rooftop, moving about, forcing Batman to adjust his head and body, or pull of the difficult move of appearing intimidating, while losing eye contact, or worse, only maintaining it out of the corner of one's eyes.

Spike almost prowled as he moved, though there were no targets up here. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a box of cigarettes and his lighter, taking one out, and holding it between his lips. He spoke with the unlit cigarette, "I might just pay them a visit myself. A spot of violence before bedtime, I'm sure you can appreciate how much it helps you get a nice sound sleep."

Lighting the cigarette, Spike decided to carry on the bulk of the conversation. He did like the sound of his own voice. "I don't know you," he held the cigarette in his hands as he gestured, "but I'm on your side, now." There was a brief pause on the now. The kind that most people would miss, but not the Batman. There was also a slight tone of voice to it. Was it regret? Acceptance? There was more to it, just a question of what. "It's a long story."

"But if you want to safeguard your precious city," taking a drag of the cigarette, he ran a finger across the stone ledge, rubbing the dust between his black painted thumb and fingers. "You really must talk to the maid. Watchers Council. Vampires, demons, hellbeasts. Study it, learn it. You can thank me later."

Batman has posed:
Batman questioned the wisdom of following the vampires advice. Though Spike had no reason to lie. He had no reason to mislead Batman, but there have been others with 'no reason' to do anything in this city and have paid the ultimate price for it...and sometimes, even worse. Batman is left with little options, considering the likelihood that Spike may be lying.

But if he's not?

"We'll see." on the matter of if Spike is on his side or not. Though Batman looks at him with intensity in those blue eyes of his. "Heard of this Council. Never met. We'll see." Batman speaks bluntly and to the point. He looks Spike in the eyes and says only one word.

"Lead."